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It’s not often that a pitcher makes it to the big leagues in his first full season as a professional. It’s even less common when one taken out of high school does it, but that’s exactly what Bundy accomplished in 2012. The Oklahoma prep product started the year in the South Atlantic League and finished it in Baltimore. Along the way, he showed an ability to throw several pitches for strikes. His Fastball is easily plus, thrown up to 98 mph, and he maintains velocity deep into his starts with a clean and easy delivery. His curve should be at least above-average in the future, though he’s still learning to throw it consistently. He has good arm speed on his changeup, which should be another above-average or better pitch. He looks every bit the top of the rotation starter the Orioles hoped they were getting when they gave him a Major League contract.

What a difference two years can make. Coming out of high school, Gausman was a highly thought of pitcher with a ton of arm strength, but little else. After two seasons at LSU, he emerged as the top college arm taken in the 2012 Draft. He still has the power, his fastball is an easy plus pitch, but he’s learned a lot more about his overall craft. He backs up his heater with another plus pitch, a changeup, which fades and sinks. His breaking stuff has always lagged behind a bit as he toyed with both a curve and slider in college, with the latter likely being the better option going forward. Improving that, along with his overall command, are all he needs to be a frontline starter in the big leagues in the near future.

I think only because neither put up big stats. Encouraging though since Gausman was just getting his feet wet and Schoop was slowed by injury. Both could make big jumps. Maybe top 10 and top 40 respectfully.

The top 100 prospects list is what it is, and that's just baseball fodder to fill up pages that is never right. It's nice that Bundy is rated #2 but it really means nothing in the long run. There have been many, many top 100 prospects who have never sniffed the major leagues, and there are many on this list who also won't.

Baseball is such an inexact game to predict. Guys can come out of no where to be impactful players and "can't miss prospects" just don't make the big show. Classic example is Tim Beckham who was rated #28 prospect in 2009 and #67 in 2010 and since then not ranked at all.

ofahn wrote:If you're referring to busts from the top 100 I would agree, but almost every player on the top 10 list has a ML career unless they get injured. Some certainly make a bigger impact than others.

and I agree with you about the top 10, and yes I was talking about the top 100 prospects.

Old Sneakers wrote:The team is going to have to get much better at drafting and that ghastly 2009 class is killing us.

I would agree that the 2009 draft was a missed opportunity, but it wasn't a complete loss.

I cringe every time I think of how we could have had an almost MLB ready SP with the #4 pick that would now be in our rotation or a trade candidate. I felt that our farm system was so barren at that point that we couldn't afford to wait the normal five years for a HS player to develop from that draft spot.

After that we have actually had some good value:

Randy Henry - traded for a quality piece on the 25 Man RosterRyan Berry - will probably spend time in our bullpenMichael Ohlman - the upside of a starting ML C, and at least a ML back upBrenden Webb - five tools that are starting to develop and possibly the future RFTim Berry - legitimate ML SP prospect

There are also some wildcards that have the real chance of contributing in Baltimore. Overall it's a disappointment, but it could have been worse.

Jonathan Schoop is probably very close to top 100. His stats weren't great at AA, but he held his own in an older league. I full expect Schoop to be our second or third basemen for some years. He just needs a little more time to get his pitch recongnition down IMO. Another year at Bowie will be good for him.